From roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com Sun Sep 10 12:51:47 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k8AIpljb001937; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 12:51:47 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l.rootsweb.com [66.43.16.22]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k8AIpkXF014194 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 12:51:46 -0600 Received: from roots-l.rootsweb.com (roots-l [127.0.0.1]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with ESMTP id k8AGAZFI011915 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 12:10:35 -0400 Received: (from roots-in@localhost) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.8/Submit) id k8AGAZoL011914 for roots-approved@rootsweb.com; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 12:10:35 -0400 Received: from lists5.rootsweb.com (lists5.rootsweb.com [66.43.27.41]) by roots-l.rootsweb.com (8.12.10/8.12.10) with SMTP id k8AFE8FI011725 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:14:08 -0400 Received: (from slist@localhost) by lists5.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) id k8AHt8OH017173 for roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:55:08 -0600 X-Envelope-From: treviawbeverly@houston.rr.com Sun Sep 10 11:55:08 2006 Received: from mail.rootsweb.com (mail.rootsweb.com [192.168.65.34]) by admin.rootsweb.com (8.12.8/8.12.8) with ESMTP id k8AHt8jb017164 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:55:08 -0600 Received: from ms-smtp-01.texas.rr.com (ms-smtp-01.texas.rr.com [24.93.47.40]) by mail.rootsweb.com (8.13.4/8.13.4) with ESMTP id k8AHt50a003121 for ; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 11:55:05 -0600 Received: from oemcomputer (cpe-24-162-26-136.houston.res.rr.com [24.162.26.136]) by ms-smtp-01.texas.rr.com (8.13.6/8.13.6) with SMTP id k8AHt5x1012471; Sun, 10 Sep 2006 12:55:05 -0500 (CDT) Message-ID: <002f01c6d503$8437deb0$6401a8c0@oemcomputer> From: "Trevia W Beverly" To: "Patricia Sears" , References: <003501c6d429$b75645f0$3eed8a48@KSCGNB02> Subject: Re: [ROOTS-L] Why won't my cousins talk to me? :) Date: Sun, 10 Sep 2006 13:04:09 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1807 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1807 X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.52 on 192.168.65.34 Sender: roots-in@roots-l.rootsweb.com My suggestion is that you are perhaps going about it in too strong a way. So many people are not at all interested in genealogy, others don't like/want to be bother by people they don't know, and sending out "genealogy reports" to 20 people you have 18 who probably can't add anything and now they have your report and it's all they want. And they have it for free. But a lot of people are caught up in the privacy thing and are leary of answering questions from 'unknowns.' To these 20 people, were you able to give them a direct connection so they knew who you were and your relationship to them and their relationship to the earliest ancestor? I suggest that rather than send out a report, you simple send out a less-than-one-page flyer type announcement that you are working on a "History of the --- Family, and the allied lines of -----." Invite them to participate in helping to tell the full story, and invite them to submit their immediate line if they wish to by filling in a five-generation chart that you have included. Let them know that when you get far enough along to publish something, they will have an opportunity to purchase the book. Two pgs beats the 20 pg report in your cost. They will respond or they won't. If they won't, don't waste you time - move on to what you can do without them. Thank the ones who do respond. You might also consider doing a " --- Family Newsletter" and send the first one ---- Vol. 1, No. 1 [month/year] ---- make it no more than 5 pages. Make it 'meaty' with a good teaser. Be sure you set a price on it .... many are only appreciative when they have to pay for it. One thing you will discover that if you Newsletter is worthy, it will be passed around in the family and you'll receive some subscriptions from others. Be sure you slap the appropriate copyright statement on it. On Saturday I gave a very short session on "Getting Your Family Research Into Print" and covered Family Newsletters. Anyone who wants a copy of the outline may *** contact me direct; NOT online *** and give your name, town/state and I'll be happy to return it via e-mail attachment. One of the resources I referred the group to "Creating Family Newsletters" by Elaine Floyd (Writers' Digest Books). Ask family members to participate. And if you choose to do a Newsletter via e-mail attachment, still ask for a nominal subscription price -- your time and work is worth something. No subscription payment; no Newsletter. Trevia Wooster Beverly Houston, Texas ----- Original Message ----- From: "Patricia Sears" To: Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 11:05 AM Subject: [ROOTS-L] Why won't my cousins talk to me? :) > when I send letters of inquiry, introducing myself and my genealogy interests, and inviting them to trade family history information, I either get no response, or a few tidbitsThis is starting to become very frustrating. Any suggestions? > I've sent genealogy reports to at least 20 relatives and only two responded with a thank you. One cousin even told me to stop "annoying" him. >